Sidney howe short



(No Model.)

S. H. SHORT. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented June 11, 1889.

N4 PETERS. Pmwumngmphcr. wnihingvm n4 c4 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SIDNEY IIOIVE SHORT, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE UNITED STATESELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 404,873, dated J' une11, 1889.

Application filed February 16, 1887. Serial No. 227,796. (No model.)

To all whom z' may concern.

Beitknown thatl, SIDNEY HowE SHORT, of Denver, in the county of Arapahoeand State of Colorado,have invented a new and useful Improvement inElectrical Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following` is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to electrical railways in which the cars arepropelled by a current 1o from a generating-machine through conductorsextended in suitable relation to the way.

The object of the invention is to provide an electric railway in whichthe cars can be run in multiple arc, and to provide also in such arailway a system of conductors insulated throughout their entire length,except at intervals, by means of insulating material, such as that usedfor underground cables and for electric-light and telegraph wires.

zo By the device described herein the great difculty which is met in theordinary multiple-arc railways of insulating the entire length of a bareconductor or pair of bare conductors in a conduit is to a great extentavoided.

The liability to short-circuit the conductors is also greatly reduced bytheir being exposed only at intervals. The expense of insulation is alsogreatly reduced, as only the places where the conductors are exposedneed be provided for.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in diagrammatic formthe conductors with their contact-points in their proper Arelation tothe contact-pieces which are con- 3 5 nected to the motor and with thedynamo-connections. Fig. 2 is a similai` ligure representing anotherarrangement of the contact-pieces. Fig. 3 represents the cross-sectionof a conduit and with the conductors and points in their 4o relation tothe railway.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show two arrangements ofcontacts made with the conductors and two arrangements of thecurrent-collector.

In Fig. 1 the insulated conductors c and c are arranged along anelectrical railway par: allel with each other, and the -iand terminalsof the dynamo D are connected with these conductors, as shown in thedrawings.

5o These are connected together at the other end and form with dynamo acomplete circuit. These conductors@ and c are simply wires having acoating of insulation I and I sufficient to admit of their being buriedin the ground outside of the conduit e, through which the 5 5current-collector must pass. The insulation is removed from theseconductors c and c at intervals of any convenient length, as shown at 12 4 14. At points where the conductors are thus exposed springs s s sare attached 6o to them, so that good electrical contact is made. Thesesprings extend out into the conduit and approach each other closelyenough to come in contact with the two metallic conducting-strips g andg', (preferably 65 of copper,) which are shown as arranged on the sidesof the currentcollector. These strips are connected electrically by themotor M, which is carried upon and adapted to propel the car. Thecurrent-collector may be a 7o bar of wood or other insulating andotherwise fit material, as shown in Letters Patent granted to myself andJohn IV. Nesmith on the 31st day of August, 1886, No. 348,477. In Fig.

1 these strips of copper g and g are set one 75 slightly ahead of theother, so that a currentcollector which is used on a series system ofrailways (such, for example, as that shown in the Letters Patent of theUnited States, No. 348,476) may be used on this double-conductor Somultiple-arc system. This current-collector has its strips g and gsufficientlylong to reach from one pair of springs to another, as shownat S10, s, 812, and s, I-Iere the strips g and g are in contact withfour springs at the same time-g with .S10 and S12, g with s and su.

Two current-collectors, and hence two motors, are shown between the twoconductors c and c in Fig. 1. The current passing from the '-lterminalof the dynamo down through 9o conductor c finds a path out at springss3, through strip g on the current collector, through motor M,`throughstrip g on the current-collector, and through spring s4 to the conductoro, along which it returns to the 95 terminal of the dynamo. Anotherportion of the current, however, has passed down the conductor c andfound two paths of escape. These are through e9 and s, through strip gon the current-collector, through motor M, roo

through strip g on the current-collector, and through springs Sl and S12to the conductor c, along which it also returns to the terminal of thedynamo. The relative position ot these contact-springs is a .matter ofconstruction. They may be placed as shown in Fig. 2. The springs onconductor c may alternate with those on conductor c. There is anadvantage in this arrangement, as by it the liability to short-circuitis greatly reduced. As currentcollectors carried by the car can be madelong, these springs can be placed far apart, and the possibility of aconducting-body that could reach from a spring on one conductor to aspring on the other would be slight.

In Fig. 2 the dynamoterminals -land are connected with the conductors cand c, respectively. The current passes down through conductor c untilit reaches spring 3'", which is in contact with ciu'rent-collector G andG. It passes to strip G', thence through motor U, and finds its way backto the terminal of the dynamo through strip G, sprii'lgs s and 3S, andconductor c. lVhen current-collector G and G is moved toward the dynamo,the lower end ot' strip G will leave spring $8, but will still haveelectrical connection with conductor c through spring s6. Ifcurrent-collector and motor continue to move in the saine direction,strip G will finally come in contact with sp1-in g s, which is inelectrical connection with conductor c. Strip G will then have contactwith conductora through two springs s and sl. As movement continues,strip G will leave spring 3'", but will still have contact with springAs the current-collector moves through the entire length ot' theconductors, it will be readily seen that its strips G and G will at alltimes have contact with one or two springs and the current will bebroken through motor M.

I do not wish to confine myself to these particular arrangements of thesprings which are in contact with the insulated conductors. In my systemsimply two wires are used which are carefully insulated with thematerial used for underground cables. These are buried in the groundoutside of the conduit or are attached to its inner walls.

venient length this insulation is removed and metallic contact-piecesare attached to the At intervals of concables. These contact-pieces aresupported on insulators of proper construction and extend into theconduit in such a position that the current-collector in passing alongunder the car will come in contact with them. It will be observed thatthese contact-pieces do not at any time come into contact with cachother, as in the aforesaid patent, and the connection is found only bythe contactpicces passing between them.

The cables and conduit Gare shown in section in Fig. 3, whichillustrates the relation of the parts; but my invention is not convlinedto this relation. In this the conductingstrips ot' copper are on a barsupported on a car B, Fig. 3, as in the aforesaid patent.

I claim as myinventionl. The combination, in an electrical railway, oftwo conductors in circuit with a current-generator insulated throughouttheir cntire lengths, excepting at intervals,where contact-springs arepermanently attached therei to, the said conductors being arrangedparallel to each other, and the contact-points extending into a conduittoward each other, but separated therefrom, and a current-collcctorsuitably connected to the car and with its sides insulated `from eachother but connected electrically to a motor carried on the car, the saidcollector being adapted to travel within the conduit and to come incontact with the contact-springs of the two conductors, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an electrical railway in which the motors are run in multiple are,`the ctnnbinaticn of a generator, a conduit, an umlergronlnl. conductorinsulated throughout its entire length except at intervals, where itprovided with spring contact-arms 1 )ermanently connected therewith, acurrent-collector travcling in the conduit and adapted tor contact withthe spring-arn1s, a car, a inotor on the car, and means t'or moving thecollector with the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed n1 y name to this specification inthe presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY IYIOW'E SHORT. lVitnesses:

RoDNn'v CUn'iis, Ham-iv R. BURNS.

